The Time Out New York Blog

Latest Posts

Winter's chill has settled in for the season, but that doesn't mean you have to stay (or imbibe) strictly indoors. These sky-high saloons offer the rooftop experience all year long—no parka necessary.
230 Fifth: Located more than 20 floors above Fifth Avenue, this perennially packed nightspot has installed a handful of heated PVC igloos to enable cold-weather quaffing. Each geodesic dome fits 11, but get their early—these prime spots are available on a strictly first-come-first-serve basis. 230 Fifth Ave (212-725-4300, 230-fifth.com).
Mr. Purple: The 15th-floor bar at the Lower East Side's Hotel Indigo—a dramatic example of the nabe's reincarnation as a mini Meatpacking District—allows drinkers to take in the surroundings while sipping on a range of classic cocktails, plus the bar's namesake tipple featuring Casamigos reposado tequila, cranberry liqueur, allspice dram, apple, and lemon. 180 Orchard St (212-237-1790, mrpurplenyc.com)
Candy can shooters at Winter WonderlandPhotograph: Courtesy Arlo Hotel Hudson Square
Winter Wonderland at the Arlo Hotel Hudson Square Hotel: For the Christmas season, the rooftop bar at the Arlo Hotel Hudson Square has transformed into a boozy version of Santa's workshop, with playful creations like gingerbread man Jello shots and a hot chocolate martini. Stop by soon—the space strips its festive threads come New Year. 231 Hudson Street (212-342-7000, arlohotels.com)
The Empire Hotel Rooftop: Their popul

We already told you about the Polar Vortex headed to NYC next week, but now it’s being reported that we’re getting snow, too! It’ll drop below freezing tonight, with snow beginning to fall tomorrow at 2pm and possibly again on Sunday morning. (Yes, there were some flurries in NYC in November, but this time it could really stick.)
It’ll get slightly warmer early next week, but don’t get used to it—temperatures could drop as low as 22 degrees on Thursday.

Like a bad case of crabs or a dead pet you accidentally buried in a cursed cemetery, the annual rowdy holiday tradition SantaCon is returning tomorrow.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to SantaCon in NYC
Thousands of people dressed as Santa Claus will once again be hitching up their drinky-drank sleighs, and going on an epic bar crawl (and potential actual crawl) across Manhattan.
This year, the festivities will be invading several neighborhoods including Flatiron, the East Village and Midtown. Contrary to any flyers you may have seen downtown, the event is not, in fact, cancelled.
Despite a controversial past, organizers are promising a calmer iteration this time around. (And last year, the number of arrests was down to just five so hey, progress!) As extra precautions, the Metro-North and LIRR are banning alcohol on trains Saturday through early Sunday and the NYPD will be assigning extra officers to monitor the event.
The starting point for this year’s crawl will be 23rd St and Broadway in the Pedestrian Plaza outside of the Flatiron Building. If you’d like to receive updates about the event/warnings of any impending Santa hordes approaching you, text “Follow Santacon” to 40404.
For the full list of “Santa Clubs” and “Santa Bars” participating you can head to the official site or check out the map of the route below.

It's not just the menu that makes a night out memorable. These Instagram-ready bars and restaurants take a maximalist approach to decking the halls that lasts long after other boîtes have taken down their Christmas lights.
21 Club: This midtown institution has been drawing boldface names—including Donald Trump, who celebrated his presidential victory there—since its current location opened in 1929. In the cozy Bar Room, with its red leather banquettes, hundreds of miniature planes, trains, and automobiles hang from the ceiling alongside sports memorabilia gifted by notable patrons, making it look like a grown-up TGI Friday's. 21 W 52nd St (212-582-7200, 21club.com)
Paul's Cocktail LoungePhotograph: Courtesy Roxy Hotel
Paul’s Cocktail Lounge: Pepto pink meets palm fronds in this quirky cocktail bar by nightlife impresario Paul Sevigny located within The Roxy Hotel. The decor may look straight from the set of Golden Girls, but the carefully crafted cocktails (served on silver platters) are pair perfectly with the Dorothy Draper goes to Palm Beach vibe. The Roxy Hotel, 2 Ave of the Americas (212-519-6600, roxyhotelnyc.com)
The Palm Court at the PlazaPhotograph: Paul Wagtouicz
Palm Court at the Plaza: The Plaza Hotel's famed Palm Court provides a dramatic backdrop to afternoon tea, with the soaring trees that give it its name reaching toward the stained-glass dome above. The 100-year-old restaurant got a facelift from architect Thierry De

A photo posted by Marta Moreno (@martamorenoworldtraveller) on Dec 4, 2016 at 5:52pm PST
It’s a Christmas miracle! We all know how challenging it is to gain access to the hallowed grounds of Gramercy Park. (You either need a key or have to be on good terms with someone with said key.)
RECOMMENDED: Christmas in NYC guide
But once a year, the not-so-pearly gates open up to slobs like us on Christmas Eve. Oh, but there’s a catch: You have to belt a few verses of “Silent Night.”
As in recent years, everyone is welcome to wander inside this exclusive park to join the Parish of Calvary St. George’s for some festive caroling on Dec 24 at 6pm.
Want to know where else you can croon some Christmas tunes? Check out our page of awesome Christmas caroling opportunities in NYC.

In a world led to ruin by the satanic consumerism of Santacon, only one force can save us: a Holiday Puppy Convention. Next Saturday the 17th, The Turnstyle shopping strip at Columbus Circle will transform into a utopian vision of dog-and-human coexistence for PuppyCon. You can bring your pet for activities, games and pictures with Santa, and even enjoy "dog-friendly" libations—hopefully while you and your companion are getting cozy with other single dog-owner duos.
The free Christmas event, which runs from noon–3pm, takes place in the insulated Turnstyle shopping area, just below Columbus Circle, so you and your pooch don't have to worry about getting cold.
Photograph: Courtesy Robert Stoetzel
Better start sewing your canine friend's sweater now.

Bundle up—starting Tuesday, the northeast is about to get hit with another Polar Vortex. With temperatures much lower than the balmy 50s and 60s we’ve seen over the past few weeks, it will drop below freezing tonight and could even reach as low as 22 degrees on Thursday.
A Polar Vortex is a mass of cold air drifting down from—you guessed it—the poles, bringing chilly temps to North America. Midwestern areas near Chicago could even see single-digit temps this week.
It’s too soon to tell whether we’ll have another tropical Christmas, though. And in case you forgot (or mentally blocked it out), 2016 got off to a frigid start with a Polar Vortex in February and yet another one in April. Yeah, 2016 wasn’t the best.

The holidays are here, ushering in seasonal spectacles all over town, from Rockefeller Center to the Oculus. The Fulton Center has just joined in with a digital installation showing New York City as a procession of mesmerizing, kaleidoscopic views. Aptly titled New York Dreaming, the video is the handiwork of artist Anne Spalter. Sponsored by MTA Arts & Design, New York Dreaming plays on loop for two minutes at the beginning of each hour and can be seen on large screens inside the Fulton Center as well as along the Dey Street pedestrian tunnel. Spalter's work will be casting its spell through the beginning of 2017. Check out the short clip above, plus stills from the piece, below.

No holiday is more stereotypically New York than New Year’s Eve. After all, we’ve got Dick Clark, Times Square and the infamous ball. Whether you want the full When Harry Met Sally New Year’s Eve experience—complete with dancing, confetti and a romantic confession—or a low-key night with your crew, there’s something on this list for everyone.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to New Year’s Eve in NYC
Free
Fireworks at Prospect ParkFor a laid-back, family-friendly celebration, head to Park Slope to watch the fireworks show at Prospect Park. The live music starts at 11pm in Grand Army Plaza, and the pyrotechnics will kick off the new year at midnight. Pro tip: bundle up and head to the plaza early to snag a free cup of hot cocoa. Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park; 11pm; free
Night Bike Ride and Outdoor After–PartyKick off the new year with a group bike ride through Manhattan to Belvedere Castle in Central Park for a massive outdoor dance party. Meet on the Brooklyn side of the Williamsburg Bridge at 9:45pm, under the arch in Washington Square Park at 10pm or on the Flatiron side of Madison Square Park at 10:20pm to join the fun. Don’t forget the party hats, glow sticks and noisemakers! Various locations and times; free
New Years Eve in Times SquareOnly the truly committed will camp out in Times Square to watch the ball drop in person. You’ve got to get there by 3pm to secure a spot, but the earlier you arrive, the better your view. Your dedication will be rewarded with a prime view

Fri 9
The Xmas Pop Sing-Along Union Hall; 9:30pm; $10Wet your whistle with some complimentary milk and cookies and give the gift of your voice at this giant sing-along shindig. The big man in red himself hosts as he leads the crowds through their favorite hits by the likes of Bing Crosby, the Jackson 5 and Mariah Carey. Go all-out with your wardrobe choices: There’s a competition for both the best Santa costume and worst holiday sweater. Throw back a few Xmas cocktails like the Santa’s Sleigh, Egg Nog and Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer—you’ll need the liquid courage to win the prize for being the naughtiest.
No Office Holiday Party Littlefield; 8pm; $5Don’t let the freelance lifestyle give you a blue Christmas—everyone (even folk with office jobs) is invited to this sixth-annual bash. Sing your heart out to live-band karaoke without fear of your boss judging you or grind up on a sexy stranger while the DJ spins holiday songs without ever worrying about running into them in the elevator days later. There will also be a Santa and Lady Santa getting their groove on and a holiday photo booth so you can have evidence of why you ended up on Kris Kringle’s naughty list. It's almost enough to make not having benefits worthwhile.
Indian Market and Social La MaMa Experimental Theatre; noon; freeSafe Harbors Indigenous Collective hosts this three-day marketplace featuring jewelry, baskets, clothing, sculpture and paintings made by Native American artists. Between browsing, chec